Family
by FaithinBones
Summary: This story is for the Bonesology Summer Challenge. My story is going to be connected by a series of words provided by Bonesology. These chapters will be short, not quite drabbles but that's because I'm too wordy for real drabbles. This story is taking place a few years after the last episode of Season 12.
1. Chapter 1

(After Season 12)

This story is for the Bonesology Summer Challenge. My story is going to be connected by a series of words provided by Bonesology. These chapters will be short, not quite drabbles but that's because I'm too wordy for real drabbles. This story is taking place several years after the last episode of Season 12.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The only sound in the hospital room was the sound of the air conditioner running and the monitors attached to the patient lying in her bed. Cam sat in the chair hugging herself and wishing that she still smoked while Booth sat on the couch under the window and read a newspaper. They were waiting for Michelle to wake up and they were confident that she would.

As an FBI Agent assigned to the Baltimore office, Michelle and her partner had responded to a robbery at a Credit Union and she had been shot stopping one of the robbers from trying to escape out of the back of the building. Four men had entered the building and once they had the money they had come for they had split up and fled out of the front door, the back door and the side door. They had hoped that the confusion would allow them to escape, but they were wrong. Each criminal had been stopped as they left the building with a hostage. Because the robber that had exited the back door was carrying a child in his arms, Michelle had tried to save the child and was shot while doing so. Her partner had shot the man as he shot Michelle and though his partner had been hurt the child had been saved.

As far as Cam was concerned, her daughter was a hero. Of course, she planned to kill her daughter once she was awake for scaring her to death or at the very least, read the riot act to her. She was not allowed to be shot or die and she would make sure Michelle knew that as soon as possible. There was only so much Cam could take and losing Michelle wasn't one of them.

A low moan captured Booth and Cam's attention and caused them both to move to stand next to the bed. Slowly opening her eyes, Michelle noticed her mother staring down at her and groaned. "Cam . . . I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, you'll hear about it, just not now, Michelle." Relieved that her daughter was awake, Cam leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Her gaze moving to the end of the bed, Michelle spied her Uncle and tried to make her case. "Booth, I was doing my job. Tell her."

Slowly shaking his head, Booth gave his niece a slight smile. "Don't look at me. Do you know how many times Bones has lectured me on not dying or getting hurt? At least I don't go out in the field anymore so the lectures have stopped. Yours is just beginning."

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A/N: the first word was Air conditioner.

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	2. Chapter 2

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

Finally out of the hospital, Michelle was convalescing at her mother's house. She had wanted to stay in her own apartment, but her mother and step-father had insisted that she stay with them. Her youngest brother Jordan had volunteered to give up his bedroom for his sister and sleep in the living room. He thought of it as an adventure. Since his dog wasn't allowed to sleep with him in his bed, he knew that Roger would be able to snuggle with him on the couch. It was a win win situation for him and Roger.

A few days after she moved in, Michelle was standing in front of the mirror situated on the back of the closet door and stared at the scars on her shoulder. She had peeled back the bandage and felt that it looked terrible. The doctor had done a fine job of stitching, but she had a scar that was noticeable and it worried her.

"Michelle, can I . . ." Once in the room, Cam witnessed her daughter press the bandage back on, quickly slip on her shirt and turn to face her mother. "Are you alright?"

"Yes . . . I may not be able to wear a bathing suit anymore, that's all." Michelle didn't want to make a big deal of the scar, but she knew she had a great looking body and she was afraid that no man would ever be interested in her again because of it. She wasn't vain. She was trying to be realistic.

Cam considered her daughter to be fairly level headed and she had not considered everything when her daughter had been shot. "Michelle . . . a scar doesn't make you ugly. I mean that. You've seen Booth in swim trunks. Do you think he's ugly because of a few scars?"

"What? No of course not." Embarrassed, Michelle wished that she'd never mentioned the scar. "The scar on his stomach is messy, but it's not terrible. He does wear a t-shirt a lot when he's uses the pool though." Maybe she could do that. Yes, that was a good idea.

Hesitating, Cam decided that she needed to do a bit more encouragement. "Michelle, as the scar starts to age, the line will become slimmer. You'll get used to it and after a while, you won't even think about it. In the meantime, you can wear t-shirts over your bathing suit. Don't let that scar dictate who you are. You're a beautiful young woman, an FBI Agent, strong, independent and if your father was alive he'd be so proud of you. We're all proud of you and I don't want you to forget that. Ever."

A tear slipping from her eye lash, Michelle moved closer to her mother and placed her arms around her. "I know this is silly. I'm lucky to be alive. The man was a terrible shot. I'm sure he was aiming at my chest when he hit my shoulder." Stepping back, Michelle smirked. "My partner Bill didn't want to take the time to put on the Kevlar vests. I made him take the time, so now I have something to lord over him when I go back to work."

"And I appreciate your stubbornness Michelle, believe me."

Oooooooooooooooooo

A/N: the word for today was bathing suit.


	3. Chapter 3

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The fan in the garage was whipping up the hot air, but as far as Cam was concerned the building was smothering. Stepping around the Mustang to where the hood was propped up, she spied Booth leaning over the motor, swearing while trying to do something she didn't understand with a tool.

"Booth."

Startled, Booth back away from the engine and turned to face his friend. "Cam, what's up?" Grabbing his t-shirt from the bench behind him, he pulled it on, the sweat on his body making the shirt damp and clingy.

Her arms folded against her chest, Cam cocked her head to the side and stared at her friend. "Michelle is depressed. I know being shot can have long term repercussions, but I don't know what to say to her to help her . . . she's worried about the scar on her shoulder and I think she's worried that being shot means she's not good at her job."

"What? Of course she's good at her job. She helped save a child during a bank robbery." Booth grabbed a rag from the bench and wiped his face and arms dry. "As for her scar, she's a beautiful independent young woman and some scar is not going to change that."

"I've tried to tell her that, but I think her confidence has taken a hit." Worried, Cam tried to explain further. "The scar is just a symptom, Booth. I think being shot has made her feel that she did something wrong and that she's not the agent she thought she was . . . I'd like you to talk to her. You've been where she's at. Maybe she'll listen to you."

Booth loved Michelle and considered her part of his family. She was his niece in every way and he would do what he could do to help her. "Sure, I can. I'll come by the house this afternoon . . . after Bones gets back. She took Christine and Hank to the Jeffersonian to see that new display about the Maya."

"Thanks, Booth." Taking the rag from Booth's hand, she wiped the sweat beading on her forehead. "Why don't you put some air conditioning in here?"

Amused, Booth chuckled. "Because I'd like to live a long time. A closed door and a running engine would kill me and that would just piss Bones off. She's planning on traveling when we retire and I don't think she wants to do it by herself."

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A/C: the word for today was fan.


	4. Chapter 4

(After Season 12)

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Oooooooooooooooo

The day was hot and it was supposed to be that way for the rest of the week. Booth had hoped that they might catch a break with a minor cold front that was supposed to move into the area, but it had stalled out north of them in Maryland.

Hoping that he could be of help, Booth knocked on the door of Cam and Arastoo's house and waited for someone to come to the door. The sound of running feet preceded the door being yanked open by Jordan. "Uncle Booth, hey did you bring your Mustang?"

"Sorry, Jordan, but it's back home. I'm having trouble with the carburetor." Stepping past the youngster, Booth entered the house. "I'll bring it by when I get it fixed and take you for a ride."

"Oh boy." Jordan leaned down and picked up his yipping dog. "Roger behave . . . Did you want to see Mom?"

The wriggling dog was almost more than the young teenager could handle, but Booth was careful not to laugh. "Actually, I came by to see Michelle."

Pointing towards the back door, Jordan almost lost his grip on his over excited dog. "She's out back. She decided to plant some flower bushes along the back fence."

Once he was in the back yard, Booth spied Michelle and walked over to stand where she was kneeling. "Hey, Michelle. I thought I'd come by and see how you're doing." Knowing he was going to regret it he knelt next to her and heard his knees pop. "Damn rotten bones . . . So, are you doing okay?"

"I guess." Michelle was glad her uncle was there, but she wasn't sure if he could help her. "I'm wondering if I made the right decision when I chose to become an FBI Agent . . . I just . . . I'm questioning what happened outside the bank. I don't know if I did my job right."

"Michelle." Booth placed his hand on her arm and interrupted her. "Getting shot is one of the big risks we take when we become agents. I've read the after action report your partner wrote up and it sounds like you did everything right. You and Bill were standing in the alley behind the Credit Union when Berk Johnson left the building with a four year old boy in his arms and a gun in his hand. You and Bill confronted Berk and the guy shot at you hoping you wouldn't shoot back. When he shot you, the boy screamed, hit Berk in the face, the idiot dropped the boy and Bill shot him. Berk is dead and you, Bill and the child are alive. It was a good day, Michelle. I don't know what you could have done different. Hostage situations are tricky and there are no steadfast rules on how to handle them. There are too many variables . . . You and Bill saved the boy and that's the important part. You both did what you had to do. I am sorry that you got shot, but I see you're recovering and you'll be back to work in no time."

Still uncertain, Michelle looked at the small bush she had just planted. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Are you questioning the Special Agent in Charge? I mean, really?" Booth smiled when he said it. He wanted to lighten up the situation and try to get his niece to smile.

Mission accomplished.

Michelle placed her splayed hand against her chest and widened her eyes. "Me? I'd never do that." Some how she felt better. She didn't feel like the failure she had felt earlier and she was glad that her uncle had come by to see her. "Thanks, Booth . . . just thanks."

Oooooooooooooooooo

A/N: the word of the day was hot.

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	5. Chapter 5

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The problem with his Mustang was driving Booth a little crazy. He'd found the reason why it wouldn't start, but he was having trouble getting the parts to fix it and it was going to be a few weeks before he'd be able to drive his car again. "Bones, it's hot, it's muggy and I think we should go on vacation somewhere in the mountains. How about I see if Charles Armstrong still has that cabin in West Virginia. He owes me some favors. We could use a couple of weeks away from this swamp."

Her Popsicle melting faster than she could lick it, Brennan finally gave up and placed it in the trash can near the back door. She and Booth were sitting on the patio in the shade watching their children swimming in their pool and she didn't think the shade was helping at all. "I'm inclined to go along with your plan . . . As you know, Michelle is a little depressed since she's been shot. I would like to invite her to come with us. If there aren't enough bedrooms, we can always get the children to sleep in the main room on sleeping bags."

"Yeah, I talked to her a few days ago and I thought she was feeling better about the shooting, but Cam talked to me yesterday and she thinks Michelle's confidence level is still shaky. Maybe Michelle needs somewhere a little less busy to recuperate. The mountains would be a great change of scenery and maybe a little more relaxing. Let me find out how many bedrooms the cabin has. Maybe Cam's sons would like to come too. We could make a big family adventure out of this . . . I'm sure Cam wouldn't want to go. She's a city kid and she hates camping and stuff like that but if she does want to come, would you mind?"

"No, not at all . . . If she is coming as well as Tyler, Isaiah and Jordon the cabin will have to have a lot of bedrooms . . . don't you think Arastoo would like to come?" Brennan was trying to figure out the logistics of Booth's impromptu plan and she found that it would be doable if the circumstances were right.

Waving his hand at Hank who was waving at his parents, Booth laughed. "Hank is starting to look like a prune. The kids have been in the water for hours. I'm exhausted just watching them . . . If Arastoo wants to come then the more the merrier . . . Let me check with Charles about how many bedrooms the cabin has. If his cabin isn't suitable, we can hunt around for a cabin to rent. Just let me call Charles this evening and see what we can set up. If it's a go, I'll call Cam and invite her and her family to come with us."

A thought entered her mind and Brennan grinned. "My publisher offered to lend me a cabin he owns in Western Pennsylvania. He told me it's spacious and has modern amenities. Let me see if his offer still stands. You may not have to force Charles to return a favor this soon."

"Well, I wouldn't call it force, but yeah, okay. Check with your publisher." Booth found Brennan's publisher to be a rich prick, but he was a generous prick when it came to his best-selling author and he liked to send Brennan presents like new cars and cases of wine. If anyone had a cabin with a lot of bedrooms it would be Prentiss Baker. _What the hell kind of name is Prentiss?_

Ooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I used two prompts today: Muggy and Popsicle.


	6. Chapter 6

(After Season 12)

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Oooooooooooooooooo

Prentiss Baker was more than happy to lend Brennan his cabin for two weeks. After she confirmed that the cabin would be available, Booth invited Cam and her family to come with them and enjoy a vacation in Pennsylvania. At first Cam had rejected the idea. The thought of two families with four children and a convalescing young woman being squeezed into a small cabin made her feel claustrophobic. When Brennan assured her that the cabin was spacious and actually contained six bedrooms, she felt that it might not be the nightmare she has assumed. She wanted to do something special for her daughter and this might be what she was looking for.

After putting in for vacation and getting it approved, the adults made arrangements for their mail to be stopped at the appropriate time and for a neighbor to keep an eye on their house. Before they left, Booth and Brennan made a run to the store to buy food and drinks that everyone would want while they were on vacation. Cam and Arastoo did the same, but everyone hoped that there would a grocery store nearby in case they forgot something.

Much to Booth's irritation, the cabin they were staying at was more of a log cabin mansion that a cabin in the woods. "Look at this place, Bones. For God's sake, this isn't my idea of camping in the woods." Besides six bedrooms, there was three and half baths, a spacious living room, a games room, a kitchen, a laundry and a fully stocked food and wine pantry. Placing their food in the pantry, Booth knew that he wouldn't be making any trips to the grocery store. "If anyone complains that they can't find anything to eat then shame on them. They can hitchhike to the store if they're that desperate."

"I don't think hitchhiking is safe. If anyone wants to go the store, I'll take them." Brennan thought walking ten miles to the nearest store would be tiring as well unsafe.

"Um, right." Booth knew that sometimes it was just best to move along.

Michelle was given a bedroom by herself for which she was grateful. On the first day she was there, she dressed in a sundress, sandals and a sun hat and decided to go sightseeing in the nearby woods. She had been told that there was a lake at the end of a trail that started in the back yard and that there was a dock and some lawn furniture. Once she was on the trail, she realized that the sandals and sundress were probably a mistake. "What was I thinking? This isn't the beach. It's woods and bugs and snakes and poison ivy." Unwilling to go back to the noisy cabin, she continued down the trail and once she found the lake, she found herself to be impressed if not stunned.

The dock was spacious and had a bench on one side for anyone that might want to go fishing or just sit and watch the abundant nature surrounding them. There was a pavilion near the dock that contained outdoor furniture, a propane grill and a table that could be used for dining. There was also a propane run refrigerator for drinks and whatever anyone decided needed to be kept cool. Sitting on the dock, Michelle let the quiet wash over her. This was the first time she had been alone since the shooting and she hadn't realized just how much she craved the peace of being in solitude. She loved her family, but they were a noisy lot and adding Booth's family into the mix made for a quiet riot.

"I think I'm going to hate going home. This place is lovely."

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A/N: the prompt words today were Sandals/sightseeing/sun hat.


	7. Chapter 7

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

No one had seen Michelle for a few hours and Cam and Brennan were going to serve dinner soon. Arastoo was playing soccer with his sons as well as Christine and Hank in the backyard, so Booth offered to go and look for her. He'd enjoyed watching his children playing with Arastoo and the older boys. He knew that Tyler had slowed down the play so that Hank could score and he'd laughed when Jordan had pretended to be angry that Hank had got by him. The fact that four year old Hank didn't see the impossibility of scoring against teenagers, just made it funnier.

He took the trail that led down to the lake and noticed that the path was kept in nice shape. Booth didn't know what Brennan's publisher spent on the cabin, the upkeep of the trail and whatever was at the lake, but he assumed the guy had spent over a million dollars on his 'camp'. _Rich bastard._

At the end of the trail, he spotted Michelle sitting on a bench on the dock. As soon as he was close enough, he could see that she appeared to be a little more relaxed than earlier that day. "This is a nice place. Prentiss didn't build this place on the cheap."

"Yes, it's very restful." Michelle moved over on the bench so Booth could sit next to her. "I'm surprised the kids aren't down here swimming."

"We agreed that you needed some peace and quiet for today." Booth stared at the forest on the other side of the lake. "We'll probably be down here tomorrow morning . . . It's not the ocean and the kids won't be able to build a sandcastle, but I think this is better. The beaches are crowded this time of year . . . You doing okay?"

Relaxed, Michelle nodded her head. "I am. I didn't realize just how much I needed the solitude until I walked down here. It's so peaceful and quiet . . . Maybe I can buy a small cabin on a lake someday." She glanced at the pavilion and laughed. "Not like this of course. FBI Agents aren't rolling in money that's for sure."

"No, but it pays the bills and we get to be cool." Booth smiled. His niece seemed to be recovering from the shooting and for that he was grateful. "I noticed that there's a trail that goes around to the other side of the lake. If you want to go exploring you can use the trail . . . you let me know if you want some solitude. We'll make sure you get it."

Hooking her arm around Booth's arm, Michelle faced the lake and sighed. "Thanks, I may take you up on that . . . It's so beautiful here."

Ooooooooooooooooo

A/N: today's words were ocean, sandcastle and beach


	8. Chapter 8

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The blistering heat outside made everyone want to stay inside for the day. The 'cabin' had central air conditioning and for the most part the occupants didn't see any reason to leave the house when it comfortable inside.

Irritated, Booth sulked in the kitchen after trying to get the kids to go swimming with him at the lake. Their excuses were plentiful, but Booth knew that the video games and the large screen television with a great film library were the reason no one wanted to leave the media room. Sipping some beer, Booth stared at the modern conveniences surrounding him and he knew that his idea of camping wasn't shared by anyone else.

"I heard you want to go swimming and no one will go with you." Brennan stood in the doorway waiting for Booth to turn and face her.

"Yeah, everyone is busy." Booth turned and noticed his wife was wearing sandals and one of his shirts. "Are you wearing a bathing suit under my shirt?"

Moving into the room, Brennan walked over to where Booth was standing and unbuttoned the shirt. "I believe I am."

Stunned, Booth stared at the navy blue bikini Brennan was wearing and wondered when she had bought it. "This is new and I've got to say, I love it." It had taken Brennan over a year of increased exercise to lose the extra weight she had put on when she was pregnant with Hank and Booth marveled how beautiful she was. He hadn't cared about the weight, but Brennan had said it was unhealthy and she had worked to improve her health and to keep the weight off for the last three years. The results were spectacular to him.

"I'll go swimming with you." Brennan couldn't help but notice that her husband was reacting to her in a very interesting manner. "Or we could go upstairs and have sex. Everyone is in the media room and I don't think we'll be missed."

The lake now a distant memory, Booth stood up and clasped her hand. "Well, this is your vacation too and if you want to go upstairs, who am I do say no?"

Amused, Brennan led Booth out of the room and up the stairs. "It is hot outside and the cabin is comfortable. I think we can go swimming tomorrow when it's supposed to be cooler."

"Logical, Bones. I love how your mind works. I really do."

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A/N: today's words were blistering heat, outside and bikini


	9. Chapter 9

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

After diving from the dock into the water, Jordan swam towards his oldest brother Tyler who was floating on his back. As soon as he was close enough, he used his arm and sprayed water in Tyler's face, turned and raced towards shore.

Spluttering, Tyler turned, spied his baby brother swimming away and swam after him. "I'm going to get you Jordan."

Not really afraid of Tyler, Jordan still thought it was better to have someone to keep between him and his brother, so he swam towards Booth then stopped next to him. "Tyler is mad at me for no reason at all."

"No reason huh?" Amused Booth chuckled as he watched Jordan move around behind him. "You know that I saw what you did?"

"I was just playing. I'm a kid. Kids play." Jordan watched Tyler swim up, stop and stand up, the water coming up to his chest.

Spying his brother behind Booth, Tyler lunged around trying to grab the boy, but Jordan moved towards the shore and screamed for help. "Dad, Tyler is trying to be mean to me for no reason at all."

Sitting on a chair next to the shore, so he could keep an eye on the children, Arastoo moved his sunglasses up on top of his head and stared at his youngest son in disbelief. "We all saw what you did, Jordan." The boy waded ashore, came up to his adopted father and put his arm around the man's neck. "I'm just being spontaneous. Kids are spontaneous."

"What did you do, swallow a dictionary?" Isaiah looked over his book and stared at his younger brother. "You better tell Tyler you're sorry or he may not play baseball with us later. You know he'll do that."

"Oh, yeah." Turning to face his brother who was now standing a few feet behind him, Jordan tried to appear sincere. "I'm sorry Jordan. I was just having fun . . . okay?"

Not really impressed with Jordan's apology, Tyler folded his arms against his chest. "Tell you what, I'll accept your apology, but if you do it again, I'll not only not play baseball with you this evening but I'll also hide your Frisbee and you'll never find it."

"Dad!" Jordan loved to play Frisbee and he and his dog Roger played in the backyard every day when it wasn't raining. He really hated that Roger had to stay with Dr. Hodgins and couldn't come with them on vacation. "Dad, did you hear that?"

"Yes, I heard." Arastoo placed his sunglasses back on his face. "If you don't stop splashing everyone I'm going to help him bury the Frisbee."

Staring at his father, Jordan suddenly laughed. "Okay, no more splashing."

Oooooooooooooooooo

A/N: the words I used today were diving, Frisbee, baseball

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	10. Chapter 10

(After season 12)

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Oooooooooooooooo

Feeling restless, Michelle pulled the backpack she had brought with her from the closet, filled it with a few bottles of water, some fresh fruit, a granola bar, a towel and left the house. On her way, she found Christine crying in the backyard and wondered what was going on. "Honey, what's wrong."

Sniffling, the child ran her hand under her nose and stopped crying. "I lost my ring. It was given to me by my Uncle Sweets and I can't find it."

Concerned Michelle put her bag down and knelt next to the child. "Where do you think you lost it."

"I don't know." Tearing flowing down her cheeks, Christine put her arms around Michelle's neck and cried. "I don't know Michelle. I don't know."

Rubbing the young girl's back, Michelle looked around and sighed. The child could have lost it anywhere. "I'll tell you what. I'll help you look for it . . . Let's look around this yard first. You were playing soccer with Arastoo yesterday. Okay?"

Relieved that she had help, Christine released Michelle's neck and moved away. "Okay."

While they searched the yard, Booth and Brennan noticed them from the kitchen sliding door and came out to them. "What's going on Michelle?" Booth could see they were searching for something but he needed to know what.

"My ring Daddy. The ring that Uncle Sweets gave me." The child was no longer crying and she was filled with hope that it might be found.

"Oh Honey, I found it in your shorts this morning when I did laundry." Moving down the stairs, she handed the child her ring. Embarrassed, Brennan hadn't considered just how valuable the ring was to her daughter. "I should have told you earlier."

Excited, Christine grabbed the ring and placed it back on her finger. "Oh, thank you Mommy. Thank you so much."

Picking up the bag lying on the ground near the porch, Booth handed it to Michelle. "Thanks Michelle. Are you going hiking?"

"Just around the lake. I plan to be back by dinner time." Michelle took the backpack from Booth and pulled it onto her shoulders. "I thought I'd go see what's on the other side of the lake." Placing her hand on the side of Christine's head, Michelle smiled at the now happy child. "I'm glad you have your ring back, Baby."

"Thank you, Michelle. Thank you for helping me look for it." Christine admired the ring on her right pinky finger. "Uncle Sweets gave it to me before he went to heaven."

A stab of guilt shot through Booth listening to his daughter gush about her ring. He still blamed himself for Sweets being killed and he guessed he always would. "Be careful Michelle."

"Oh, I will." Michelle pulled a whistle from her jeans pocket. "If I run into any trouble, I'll blow my whistle. Sooner or later someone will hear it."

"I think we're all going to go down to the lake in a little while." Brennan glanced at her watch. "We're going to take some food items with us to the Pavilion and we're going to have a barbecue this evening. Cam is going to make her famous coleslaw . . . She says it's famous anyway."

Amused, Michelle laughed. "It's famous in the family Temperance. Wait until you try it. It's the best." Ready, she turned and headed for the trail. "I'll be back in time for the cookout."

Ooooooooooooo

A/N: I used the words hiking, fresh fruit and cookout.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	11. Chapter 11

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

On the far side of the lake, Michelle heard the distant sound of thunder. Since the canopy of trees overhead was blocking her view of most of the sky, she could only assume that some bad weather was moving in and it was time to go back to the other side of the lake. As she moved along the path, she heard some branches snap to her right. Stopping on the trail she spied a large black bear eating some berries from a bush a few yards away and she knew it was time to leave while she could.

As quietly as possible, Michelle hurried down the path trying not to draw attention to herself. While she moved, she kept her eyes on the trees around her just in case she might have to use one of them to get out of the reach of the bear. She knew that bears could swim, so she didn't think going into the lake was an option.

After she moved around the bend of the lake, she felt like she could relax. The bear wasn't following her, but she knew she'd had a close call. Her journey back down the trail was uneventful and once she was in sight of the pavilion she sighed with relief.

Standing near the grill under the pavilion, Booth spied Michelle and waved at her. Everyone else was in the lake or sitting on the dock and he was the only who had noticed she was back. "Did you have fun?"

"Fun? Oh sure, lots of fun." Pulling her backpack off of her shoulders, she let it slide to the floor and sat down on one of the chairs next to the table. "I saw a bear."

"Wow, a bear. Are you okay?" As an Army Ranger, Booth had had to deal with wild animals while he was moving through jungles and forests, but he had to admit that he wasn't a fan of bears. They were unpredictable and short of shooting them, there was no surefire way to save yourself from one if it decided to attack.

The smell of barbecuing meat making her hungry, Michelle stood up, moved over to the grill and lifted the lid. "I'm fine. He was busy eating some berries. Speaking of eating, when are we going to eat, I'm starving."

Glancing at the crew in the lake, Booth smiled, used a pair of tongs and placed two beef ribs on a paper plate. "They're done, but Cam and Bones want to wait for a little while. We have some rain coming in soon and we can eat while it's raining."

The ribs juicy and delicious, Michelle tore the meat from the bones and appreciated the quick snack. "This will tide me over until then. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Checking to see where Brennan was, Booth pulled a rib from the grill and took a bite. "I think a snack is a good idea." The smell of the barbecuing meat was just too hard to resist.

Ooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I used the words thunder, berries, relax and journey.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

A bolt of lightning in the distance was all it took for Brennan, Cam and Arastoo to demand that their children leave the lake. They knew that lightning was capable of traveling 10 miles from it's origin. Exasperated, Cam called out to her youngest child. "Jordan, I'm not telling you again, get out of the water this instant."

Reluctantly, the teenager slipped his bright green swim fins from his feet and slogged from the water out onto the grass and grabbed a towel from a vacant chair. "It's far away Mom." His wet neon green colored swim trunks made him feel cold, so he wrapped the towel around his waist. "I was warmer in the lake."

Holding up another bath towel, Cam waved it at her youngest son and placed it on the railing of the pavilion. "Wrap this around your shoulders. You'll warm up." The storm slowly moving towards them, she leaned over, picked up Hank who was sitting on the grass playing with some toy cars, entered the spacious pavilion and motioned for Jordan to follow. "Come inside Jordan. We're going to eat dinner now." Handing Hank to Brennan who had been on the way to get her son, she sat down at the table and waited for Jordan to do as he was told.

As he entered the pavilion, he found that his brothers Isaiah and Tyler were helping their sister Michelle and their Uncle Booth set the table. Grabbing his mother's bowl of famous coleslaw, he set it on the table and sat down. Turning to face Brennan who was now sitting next to him with Hank on her lap, the teenager grinned. "I have to put the coleslaw in front of me and get first dibs or there won't be any after Tyler and Isaiah load up their plates."

"It is a large bowl of salad, Jordan." Brennan picked up the bowl and placed a heaping spoonful of coleslaw on her plate. Tasting it, she found it to be delicious. "Cam you must give me your recipe for this coleslaw. It is quite good."

Laughing, Booth shook his head. "Good luck with that Bones. I've been trying to get that recipe from Cam since I've known her."

Arastoo sat down, picked up the platter of beef ribs and placed several on his plate. "She won't even tell me and I'm her husband . . . Cam are you going to go to your grave with the recipe still a secret?"

A sly smirk on her face, Michelle grabbed the bowl of coleslaw and placed a large spoonful on her plate next to some buttered corn on the cob, a couple of ribs and a spoonful of baked beans. "Don't worry. She told me the recipe . . . and just so you know, my lips are sealed. I plan to take the recipe to my grave."

Astonished, Jordan turned to face his mother. "Mom are you going to let her do that?"

"I assume she will outlive me and I won't have a say in the matter." Cam saw her son stick his tongue out at her daughter and shook her head. "I'll give you my secret spaghetti sauce recipe, Jordan."

"Oh boy. Thanks Mom." Pleased Jordan placed several ribs on his plate next to some coleslaw and baked beans.

With a smirk on his face, Booth leaned over and whispered to Michelle. "I have your mother's spaghetti sauce recipe. I'll give it to you. She stole it from me when we were dating. It was my father's mother's recipe."

Snorting, Michelle quickly placed her hand over her nose and mouth. "Sorry, sorry." She saw her mother giving Booth the evil eye and she knew that Cam knew what her uncle had said to her. This was so funny and Michelle couldn't help but laugh.

Ooooooooooooooo

A/N: the words for the day were lightning, swim fins, grass, trunks and storm.

Let me know what you think of my story.


	13. Chapter 13

(After Season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

The media room was filled with children and adults watching the latest 'Toy Story' movie. Since Booth had seen it many times, he swore he could probably recite the dialogue word for word. Not willing to watch it again, he walked into the kitchen and checked to see if there was any ice cream left. After he found two tubs of butter pecan ice cream in the freezer, he scooped up some ice cream in a bowl, glanced out of the window to check on the weather and noticed Michelle sitting near the railing. Grabbing another bowl, he scooped ice cream in a second bowl, walked out onto the porch, sat down next to her and handed her one of the bowls along with a spoon. "How's it going kiddo?"

"Kiddo?" Taking the bowl and spoon, Michele turned to stare at her 'uncle'. "I'm pretty sure I haven't been one of those for a while."

Booth spooned some of the ice cream into his mouth, swallowed it and leaned back against his chair, trying to relax. "Compared to me, you'll always be a kiddo . . . how you doing, Michelle? Do you think you'll be ready to go back to work when our vacation is over?"

"I've had time to think about what happened and what you said and yeah . . . yeah, I think I'll be ready to go back to work. My partner and I saved a child . . . that was a pretty good day." Spooning some ice cream into her mouth, she savored the flavor as it melted in her mouth. "I think I needed this trip. It helped to be surrounded by family and friends that cared about me and this place . . . it's so beautiful it's hard to believe it's real."

"Yeah, it's nice, but it's not really camping." His ice cream melting he spooned a large portion into his mouth and swallowed it. "Oh, ice cream head." Placing the bowl down on the floor, he walked back into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the pantry and drank some of it. The pain gone, he walked back out onto the porch and sat down. His bowl in his hand, he scooped up some ice cream and ate it careful to keep the portion smaller. "I might take a trip up to Philadelphia and visit my grandparents and brother when we get back. I did it last Fourth of July, but I . . . I miss them you know."

Michelle knew exactly what Booth was talking about. "I miss my parents too . . . I love Cam and Arastoo, but sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if my parents had lived longer . . . Dad loved sailing. He owned a sailboat and took me sailing with him. Cam sold it and put the money in my college fund. She hates sailing and I was too young to keep a boat. I haven't thought about that boat for a while. Dad called it the 'Rose'. He named it after my mother."

Feeling guilty for making Michelle sad, Booth placed his hand on her arm "It's a nice memory, Michelle. Your Dad would be so proud of you. I know Cam is and so am I. I just want you to know that."

"Thank you, Booth." Her ice cream forgotten Michelle leaned back against her chair. "I became an FBI agent because of you. I've never told you that, but it's true. You're part of my family Booth and I love you as if you really were my Uncle."

"Thank you. You'll always be part of my family, so don't you ever forget that." The only family Booth had left was the family he had created for himself and he knew that he had chosen wisely.

Ooooooooooooooooo

A/N: The words I used today were vacation, ice cream, trip, sailing, Fourth of July and Rose.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	14. Chapter 14

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Feeling obligated to keep the place looking nice while he was there, Booth got the lawnmower out of the toolshed and mowed the lawn in the front and backyard. Since it was a riding mower it didn't take too long to do the job. The numerous showers each day had caused the grass to grow fairly fast and the flower garden in the front yard was looking like it needed some help.

Since Booth was taking care of the lawn, Arastoo and his sons moved into the flower garden in the front yard and pulled weeds away from the sunflowers and other flowers growing in the oval shaped area in the middle of the yard. Brennan had told him that there was a gardener coming to take care of everything after they left, but like Booth he wanted to be a good guest and leave the place the way they had found it. He also wanted to introduce his sons to working outside in the yard. So far, he was taking care of everything at home but when they got back, he planned to get his sons to take over some of the yard work. Three healthy teenagers needed to be outside on sunny days and not be stuck in the house playing video games. Cam agreed and they planned to turn a fourth of the back yard near the garage into a garden. Arastoo wanted to plant squash, watermelon, onions, peas, cucumbers and some herbs. As far as he was concerned, gardening was a healthy activity and his sons would benefit from their labor with the food they helped grow.

Impressed with the industriousness going on, Brennan with the help of Michelle and Cam started up the grill on the back porch and started to grill hamburgers, vegetable kabobs, ribs and corn. Once the food was cooked and the yard work was taken care of everyone met in the kitchen, filled their plates with delicious food and made their way out to the porch, found a chair and sat down to eat.

"Thanks Mom." Jordan wiped some butter from his cheek where the corn on the cob had brushed it as he nibbled down the rows of the ear.

"You're welcome, but this was a group effort." Cam used her fork and pointed at Brennan and Michelle. "We wanted to reward you for doing such a good job in the yard.

"Thank you, Mommy." Christine and Hank had watched all the activity in the yard but hadn't been allowed to help. Brennan had allowed them to butter the bread slices she had used to make the garlic bread, so they had felt like they had helped in the kitchen. "Hank and I made the garlic bread, Jordan. Do you like it?"

Swallowing a big bite of the bread, Jordan paused before taking another bite. "I sure do, Christine."

The bread buttery, just the way he liked it, Isaiah spoke up. "Christine, you and Hank did a real good job. It's perfect."

Proud of himself, Hank nodded his head. "Mommy lets me cook. I'm a good cook."

His plate almost empty, Booth thought that he'd be ready for dessert soon. "Yep, my boy makes great peanut butter sandwiches. He doesn't skimp on the peanut butter either." _Yeah, more peanut butter than bread, but that's the way he loves them and so do I._

"Thanks Daddy." He didn't know what skimp meant, but Hank knew that his Daddy loved his sandwiches and that's all he cared about.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I used the words lawnmower, showers, sunflowers, watermelon, sunny and gardening.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks


	15. Chapter 15

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Their summer vacation was winding down and Booth regretted that their stay at Prentiss' 'camp' was almost over. He hadn't realized how tired Brennan and he were until they'd had a chance to travel to the mountains and to rest in such a beautiful place. Even though he didn't really consider the place they were staying in a camp, it was a peaceful place and he wouldn't mind coming back. Hank and Christine had loved swimming in the lake and the few rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks they had seen during their stay had made his children happy.

Sitting under the pavilion with her husband, Brennan kept an eye on her children while they played next to the shore with little toy boats. "I'm glad we came, Booth. Michelle isn't sad and worried anymore, you're more relaxed and I feel rested. The children have had a chance to play in a new environment and I think they've enjoyed themselves. Both of them have a dark tan even though I used a lot of sunscreen on them. I will have to do more research on sunscreens when we get home."

Content to be with his wife doing nothing, Booth watched Jordan take a running leap from the dock and cannon ball into the water near his mother. Booth was sure Cam's scream could be heard for miles. "Oops, I don't think she wanted to get her hair wet." Jordan kissed his mother and hugged her and Booth knew that Cam wouldn't be mad at her youngest son for long. "That boy is a handful. Do you think Hank is going to be that rambunctious when he's older?" Booth remembered doing some crazy stuff when he had been a teenager, but he hoped Hank would be a little more like Parker and little less like him.

"Cam said that Jordan cried a lot when he and his brothers first moved in with them." Brennan sighed. She had lost her parents when she was Isaiah's age and she knew what they had gone through before Cam and Arastoo had adopted them. "He missed his parents and when he was in foster care, they had separated him from Tyler. Isaiah was with him, but I think Jordan was afraid he'd never see Tyler again. Cam and Arastoo have given their sons what they needed. A loving, stable home to finish maturing in. They're luckier than they know."

Aware that Brennan was missing her parents, Booth grasped her hand and squeezed it gently. "Hey, you're not alone Bones. You have me, and the kids, Parker, your brother and his family. You're never going to be alone again . . . okay?"

"Yes . . . I'm glad I got into bed with you when Mr. Nigel-Murray died." Brennan thought about how much her life had changed starting with that fateful decision. "It was the right decision."

"I love you, Bones." Booth had been sure after the blizzard that they would get together some day and when that day happened, he'd felt so happy that it made him feel guilty that it had taken the death of an intern to finally push them together. _Thanks Vincent. You gave me a family and I won't forget that._

Oooooooooooooo

A/N: I used the words summer, camp, travel, rest, play, sunscreen and tan.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	16. Chapter 16

(After season 12)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

Two days before they had to leave to go home, Christine begged her parents to have a picnic with her. She didn't want to use the pavilion which she thought was cheating. "That's a house, Mommy. A picnic has to be under the sky not a roof."

"Of course, we'll have a picnic, Honey." Booth felt the backyard was spacious enough and the shade from the trees bordering the lawn would help keep everyone cool during the day. The humidity was lower than it had been, so the picnic would not be unbearable. "What do you and Hank want to eat? We can make sandwiches and lemonade and we have some apples."

"I can slice up apples and make a dipping sauce with peanut butter." Brennan saw Hank grin and she knew her son loved her idea. He adored peanut butter and would eat it on everything if he could.

Excited, Christine clapped her hands then hugged her little brother. "Oh thank you, Mommy. Thank you, Daddy." Rushing away she raced up the stairs to her room, retrieved her sunhat from the dresser and raced back downstairs to the kitchen where her parents were preparing the picnic.

Curious why Christine was running up and down the stairs, Isaiah came into the kitchen and spied the activity near the counters. "Hey what's up?"

Running over to where Isaiah was standing, Hank grabbed his hand and pointed at his parents. "Mommy and Daddy are making a picnic for us. Do you want to come? You can play soccer with me."

Not sure if he was intruding, Isaiah shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe this is just for your family."

"Isaiah, you're part of our family. You should know that by now." Booth continued to spread peanut butter and grape jelly on slices of bread while Brennan sliced up some apples and placed the slices in a quart bag. "You're welcome to come to our picnic if you want to."

Happy that his father said it was okay, Hank jumped up and down with excitement. "Come on, Isaiah, come play with me." Hank loved that Isaiah played soccer slowly with him so he could kick the ball. "We're having peanut butter sandwiches."

"Well, if we're having peanut butter sandwiches then how can I say no?" The teenager noticed Brennan fill a bag with homemade oatmeal cookies and knew that he was going to enjoy himself. "Tyler and Jordan are down at the lake with Mom and Dad. They're going to miss all the fun."

Christine agreed. "Picnics are a lot of fun. Mommy and Daddy have a lot of picnics in our backyard. Me and Hank get to eat sitting on a blanket, but we have to make sure that Mrs. Johnson's cat doesn't steal our food when we aren't looking. Daddy says he's a pest but I like Muffin. He's very nice even if he did steal Hank's sandwich the last time we had a picnic."

"Well, I'm glad that Muffin isn't here, Christine." Isaiah winked at Brennan. "I don't think I want to share my sandwich with a cat."

Oooooooooooooooo

A/N: the words I used were picnic and humidity.

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	17. Chapter 17

(After season 12)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

The road trip back home was underway and Brennan felt that this had been one of their better family vacations. "I think Christine and Hank enjoyed this vacation." She glanced back at the backseat and noticed her children were sleeping. They had left the cabin early that morning and she knew that her children would sleep for the next few hours. "Michelle seems to have recovered from her experience and I think the rest of us got the rest and peace that we needed."

Moving his right hand away from the steering wheel, Booth grasped his wife's hand. "I know you had planned to have a vacation by the seashore later this year, so I want to thank you for changing your plans for Michelle. She really needed our help and you saw that she got it. Thank you."

"As you keep saying, she is part of our family and I think that family must pull together when life hands you lemonade." Brennan smugly witnessed the surprised look on Booth's face. "I am getting better at pop culture."

Unwilling to correct her and tell that she should have used the word lemons, Booth winked at her instead. After all she had been pretty close. "You sure are Bones . . . You know I was thinking. Maybe when summer is over and it's cooler, maybe we can go backpacking up the Appalachian Trail. Just you and me. I'm sure Angela wouldn't mind watching the kids or maybe we can get Cam or Aubrey to do it. I'd like to spend some time alone with my beautiful partner."

Flattered, Brennan thought about it for a few moments. "Perhaps for a weekend. I wouldn't want to burden anyone with our very energetic children when they have their own children to tend to . . . it does sound nice though. We haven't gone backpacking since Hank was born. When our children are older it will be nice to have the family go backpacking together. I can show them the different flora and fauna along the trail. It could be very exciting and very educational."

"Yeah exciting and educational. Just what I was thinking." Releasing Brennan's hand, Booth signaled a turn on to the highway, took the feeder road and was on the highway with little fuss. "When the kids are older, we can go camping. I mean real camping not some rich bastard's idea of camping."

"We'll see." Brennan had loved Prentiss' cabin mansion and she had loved the conveniences that went with it. "I've lived in tents for months at a time when I used to go on digs. They're very inconvenient and having to walk through the rain to an outdoor toilet was not something I cared for. Also, going to the bathroom in the woods can leave you with rashes in inconvenient places."

Booth realized she had a point. He'd slept in woods on bare ground during his Ranger days and he was too old for that shit. "Well, I can always borrow someone's cabin or rent one. I wouldn't want to make you walk in the rain to the toilet."

Oooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I used the words seashore, road trip and backpacking.

This is the end of my story. I hope you enjoyed it.


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